Rob Reiner says Martin Scorsese was 'mad' about Marty DiBergi character in This is Spinal Tap

Rob Reiner has claimed that legendary director Martin Scorsese was "mad" about Reiner's lampooning of him in This is Spinal Tap. In the comedy classic, Reiner plays a fawning documentarian named Marty DiBergi. The character was partly inspired by Scorsese's appearance in The Last Waltz, the acclaimed 1978 concert film-documentary about The Band which the Goodfellas filmmaker also directed.

"Initially, Marty got mad," Reiner says in an interview with the Associated Press. "But over the years, he's come to love it."

According to Reiner, Scorsese revealed his fondness for This is Spinal when the pair collaborated on Scorsese's 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street in which Reiner appeared.

"We did Wolf of Wall Street a few years ago and we talked about it," says Reiner. "He said, 'Ah, I love it. I love that you did that.'"

Last week, Reiner announced that he will direct a sequel to This is Spinal Tap. The film will once again star Michael McKean as band frontman David St. Hubbins, Christopher Guest as guitarist Nigel Tufnel, and Harry Shearer as bassist Derek Smalls while Reiner will reprise the role of DiBergi.

"When it was announced that Spinal Tap would reunite for one final concert, Marty DiBergi saw this as a chance to make things right with the band who viewed This Is Spinal Tap as a hatchet job," Reiner in a statement at the time of the announcement. "So he left his position as visiting adjunct teacher's assistant at the Ed Wood School of Cinematic Arts in pursuit of film history."

In the interview with the AP, Reiner confirms that, as was the case with the first film, he will be relying on his cast's improvisational skills rather than a set-in-stone screenplay. Reiner also jokingly elaborates on how the sequel came about, referring to DiBergi as if he is a real person.

"Here we are 40 years later and Marty DiBergi — who has not been the greatest filmmaker, let's put it that way," says the director. "The man made Kramer vs. Kramer vs. Godzilla. And I think he did Attack of the 52-Foot Woman. Because he said there's going to be this reunion, we wanted to make this film, and we've given him free rein."

Martin Scorsese was unavailable for comment.

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